UN Climate Change Negotiations 2012: India to resist efforts by industrialised countries to focus completely on a new regime

DOHA: India has made it clear that it will resist efforts by industrialised countries to focus completely on a new regime for climate change issues after 2020 and has signalled that it first wants crucial issues such as more ambitious emission reduction by the developed world, long-term funds, technology and intellectual property rights to be addressed

Negotiations on climate change are held on three tracks - legally binding emission cuts by industrialised nations other than US that did not ratify the Kyoto Protocol; action by developing countries and enhanced commitments by industrialised countries under the 2007 Bali Mandate; and the Durban Platform that was established in 2011 for all countries to work towards a climate change regime after 2020.

New Delhi, in the face of the European Union's domestic difficulties in taking on legally binding emission targets, and the economic downturn in industrialized countries severely constraining financial support for developing countries, has decided to consider allowing EU to avoid legal commitment to reduce emissions until its members ratify amendments to the protocol.

While India maintains that it would ideally like the second phase of the Kyoto Protocol to be legally binding from January 1, 2013, it is willing to consider the options such as a provisional application of the treaty or a political agreement as suggested by the EU.

The political and economic realities in the industrialized countries have come in the way of their their commitment on providing finance or increasing their emission reduction targets. As a result there is no meaningful progress in the climate negotiations. While India is still committed to a legally binding second phase of the Protocol, it is conscious that mounting pressure on the EU and other industrialized countries will not serve any purpose and could even hamper its development space.

India's willingness to consider a political agreement on emission reduction targets, as proposed by the European Union, is guided by New Delhi's effort to avoid giving any further concession in the post-2020 climate change regime. New Delhi is aware that ramping up pressure on the European Union and other industrialized countries could result in demands for higher emission reduction by countries likeIndia under the proposed climate change regime or the Durban Platform.